West Asia Monitor | Volume I; Issue XVII

Ramla prisoners in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War

The Arab leadership has often called upon India to play a substantive role in the largely stagnant Middle East peace process. Whilst the Palestinian issue long-preoccupied the political dynamics of the region, New Delhi got away with mere lip service in support of a resolution to the conflict. An altered geopolitical environment has ensured that peace in the region now identifies with Saudi-Iran relations, posing a daunting challenge for India. An extension of the conflict not only threatens Indian interests in the region but also curtails New Delhi’s diplomatic space to manoeuvre through these fault-lines. The pressing question that the Indian government should be addressing is whether or not the solution lies in New Delhi moderating the tensions between key regional actors.